I'm trying to decide which yak to buy, Outback or Sport. I fish various conditions (open salt water, to rivers and lakes), and can't make up my mind. I like the idea of achieving good speed because I do like going far out, but also like the idea of smaller and lighter.

A friend of mine recently bought an Outback, tried it and found he was too light for it to handle well. So he took it back next day, swapped for Sport and put some Turbo fins on it, thinking the Sport with Turbo fins should be as fast, if not faster than the Outback with standard fins.

Is that a fair assumption to make? I'd appreciate anyone giving me a heads up. My friend hasn't tried his Sport yet, and I want to buy a Hobie so I can join him on the next trip.

And before anyone says it, yeah, I know an outback with Turbo fins would likely be fastest option, but my swiss bank account doesn't seem to be working now and I can only afford one or the other.

You haven't mentioned your size, which is an important factor. The Sport has smaller capacity and less leg room. I own a Sport, have a 32" inseam, and I have the seat and pedals adjusted to their max.

The new 2007 Outback has been redesigned to eliminate the "tippy" feeling with lighter riders, so an option for both you and your friend is to wait a little for the 07 model.

While the turbo fins can add a little to top end speed, the dominant factor in speed is length of the kayak. The Sport is very short, and the speed isn't going to be in the same class as longer yaks. For the small freshwater lakes I fish, speed isn't as important to me. I prefer the manuverability of the Sport for my application.

I saw "open salt water" in your post. In these conditions, bigger is better. Don't forget to check out the new Revolution and the Adventure. The Revo is the best of all worlds, and a super yak. The Adventure has the extra length to help with open water conditions.

Thanks for the reply. I'm a fairly small build and not very heavy. I'm also a bit of a minimalist, so I don't carry a lot. I hadn't heard that the 07 Outback had been redesigned, although I had been eyeing off the Revolution. problem is that I live in Australia and apparently these aren't available here yet. And patience isn't one of my stronger virtues - I need to get back on the water yesterday.

I know smaller yaks aren't as good in open water, but it doesn't bother me all that much, because I've had some pretty small and highly incapable yaks out in the areas I plan to fish anyway. So I'm thinking the sport will do it (albeit not as well), but I also know it won't travel very quickly. But if someone can confirm that a Sport with turbo fins will manage speeds similar or faster than an outback with standard fins, I think I'd be sold on it for now.

Besides, I could pass on the Sport to my son (currently 1 year old) and upgrade to a revo or newer outback at a later date, so in that sense, I'd be killing 2 birds with one stone.

I fish open ocean off the Northern California Coast and would definitely not use a Sport. I was out last week in 9 foot swell and for me on the ocean, bigger is better. If you don't want to wait for the Revolution try the Adventure and see what you think. I haven't heard any reviews on the new Outback as yet, but that would also be a better choice than the Sport. Just my opinion.

I'm aware that both the Adventure and revo would be a better bet for open ocean. But for several reasons (not just financial) these aren't options for me right now. In any case, I'm very selective about when I do go out into open ocean - we're fortunate enough to get some nice calm days where I live. But most of my salt fishing is done in large bays in southern Australia and the swell rarely gets over 3 - 5 feet. I've been fishing these areas for years on stubby little sit on tops - even inflatables. So for the conditions I typically fish in, if the Sport can't surpass the things I've fished out of before, I'd be very surprised.

I'm not as interested in models that are better than the Sport for my intended purpose as I am whether or not a Sport with Turbos can match the speed of an Outback with standard fins. The reason speed is an issue for me is not so much to get me out of trouble if it gets windy or choppy, but more so to get me where I want to be in relatively quickly. For example, some of the places I want to reach are right in the center of the bays I fish in, which is up to 6 miles away. Safety isn't my real worry - just the ability to get where I want to be without spending 3 hours to get there.

That said, I do appreciate the advice you've given. If I do go for the sport, I'll be especially cautious about taking it into open ocean.

While I can't say for certain, as I haven't tested both, I think the answer to your original question is "no", the Turbo fins will not allow a Sport to go as fast as an Outback with standard fins. Turbo's only help a little on top end, and help with a lower cadence when cruising. Length of yak is the dominant factor here.

I love my Sport, and have had it in some big water. However, the biggest shortcoming for me (and the one that has me looking at the Adv) is the one you mention as important: The ability to get to and from the fishing destination quickly. A month ago I spent two hours against the wind and current getting to my fishing cove, and an hour returning with the wind and current. 3 hours of travel time to fish for 2 hours. If travel time is important to you, look at the Adventure, or be patient and wait for the Revolution. The Revolution is actually shipping now, so you shouldn't have too long to wait, even in your neck of the woods.

If you decide to get the Sport anyway, get the sail and sidekick. I have found that while the sail doesn't make the Sport faster, it still yields higher average speeds when cruising to and from my fishing spot, saving overall travel time significantly, assuming favorable wind conditions.

It's hard to compare one boat vs. another with different fins. But perhaps this information will give you a better idea.

I have an Adventure (bear with me here). Cruising along at a very leisurely 40 cycles per minute, with standard fins the boat goes along at 5.2 KPH. With Turbofins and the same stroke rate, I get about 7.2 KPH

Speed it up a bit to 60 cycles per minute and the standard fins would give you 7.2 and the Turbos would do 9.2. Regardless of the boat, this gives you a sense about how much difference the fins make.

Now, the Sport, while slower than the Outback, shouldn't be that much slower at cruise speed (which is nowhere near hull speed). So, I would guess the Turbofins would propel you faster vs. standard fins in the Outback. Additionally, they accelerate faster and make a better "daggerboard" if you ever get a sail.

Being the minimalist that you are, I would suggest the Turbos with Sport. A local gentleman uses this combination and loves it -- easy to handle, maneuverable and does not lack for cruising speed!